Combination watchcase and picture holder



March 18, 1941. w c M N 2,235,095

COMBINATION WATCZ'ICASE AND PICTURE HOLDER Filed Aug. 1, 1938 PatentedMar. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE William G. Barthman, New York,N. Y.

Application August 1, 1938, Serial No. 222,527

9 Claims.

This invention relates to the combination of a base, hollow case, orreceptacle for containing a watch, vanity kit. or other desired objectand an attachment, such as for example a cover, which 5 may be capableof holding some object such as a portrait or the like.

The invention particularly contemplates the provision of a devicesuitable for use by a sponsor of a radio program in advertising itsproducts,

10 which device is sufficiently attractive, useful and desirable as tobe readily appreciated and sought by the public.

The invention contemplates a device of the above character of modern,simple and novel ap- 15 pearance and which is an improvement over knowndevices.

Prior to my invention various covers for watches have been proposedincluding the familiar hunting case.

2 open-face watch construction more generally in use today, but a hingedcover for same, a spring for holding said spring cover in open positionand a catch for counteracting the action of the spring when the coverwas in closed position.

25 Such constructions have been relatively expensive to manufacture,comprising a multiplicity of small parts, requiring special operationsin their manufacture.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel 30 cover in associationwith a base, hollow case or receptacle, which cover is capable of readymanipulation from one position to another in a desired manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide an 35 attractive cover inassociation with a base capable of maintaining a predetermined positionwith respect to the said base when placed in that position.

Other objects and the nature and advantages 40 of the invention will beapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of the invention, with thecover in its closed position;

45 Fig. 2, a side elevation;

Fig. 3, an end elevation of the watch shown in Fi 1;

Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. 3 with the cover in open position;

50 Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 2 with parts in section, illustratingthe construction of the cover;

Fig. 6, a fragmentary elevation with parts in section and the cover inopen position; and,

Fig. 7, a perspective of the combined picture 55 holder and spring forthe cover.

Such watches included not only the,

Referring to the drawing, a watchcase 3!), of the type adapted to beheld to the wearers wrist by the straps 3| and 32 respectively which aresecured at their ends, not shown, by a conventional buckle or othersuitable clasp, comprises lower 5 and upper portions 33 and 34,respectively. The case 30 houses the works of the watch which areadapted to be operatively wound up by the stem winder 35.

Superimposed upon the upper portion 34 of the case 38 is the cover 36which is hingedly secured at one end 31 to the case 30 whereby the cover36 may be raised from its closed position in contact with the upperportion 34 of the case 33 to the position illustrated in dotted lines inFig. 2.

To facilitate the raising of the cover 36 a projection 33 is provided atthat end of the cover which is remote from the hinged part, whereby thethumb nail may be engaged therewith and the cover 35 flipped to itsopened position.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover 36 is formedwith an opening conforming to the outlines of the watch case 30 or othershaped opening 39, and the picture holder 40 is adapted to be heldwithin the said cover 35 as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. A picture Pmay be held between the picture holder 40 and the cover 33 in a mannerwhereby it may be clearly viewed through the opening 39. To facilitatearrangement of the picture while it is between the picture holder M! andthe inner surface of the cover 33, the picture holder 43 is formed withthe opening 4| which permits movement of the picture P by frictionalengagement of the end of a finger imparting an adjusting movement togive the de- 35 sired effect. A thin transparent sheet of glass or othersuitable protective substance G may be inserted between the picture andthe inner surface of the cover 33.

The upper portion of the picture holder 46 is adapted to be held inposition by the depending lug 42 in that end of the cover 36 which isadjacent the projection 38, see Figs. 4 and 5. The

'notch 53 formed in the upper portion of the picture holder isfacilitates the disassembly of the 5 said holder from the cover 36 wheninstallation or removal of the picture P is contemplated.

The upper portion 34 of the watchcase 30 is provided with a fixedportion 44 of the hinge 31 and the cover 33 is provided with rotatableportions 45. The center part 45 of the stationary part 44 is so formedas to have a flattened circular section as illustrated in Fig. 6. Thelower portion 41 of the picture holder 43 is formed with a pair of slitst8 and 49 respectively whereby the body portion of the picture holder 40is out of engagement with the sides of the protruding spring tongue 50.The center part or pintle 46 is formed with two flat surfaces and onecurved surface. When the cover is in closed position, the leaf spring 50engages one of the fiat surfaces and retains it in position. When thecover is opened, the spring 50 snaps over on to the other flat surface,retaining it in the open position. With the cover 36 and picture holderassembied with th watchcase, and the lid in open position, the tongue 50will be bowed toward the center of the watch, as illustrated in Fig. 6,and the end 5| of the tongue 50 will extend beyond the lower portion ofthe center part 46 With the cover in closed position, the spring tongueto will engage the center part 46 as illustrated in Fig. 5. With thearrangement described, the necessity of the usual catch for holding thecover 36 in its closed position as illustrated in Fig. 5 is obviated,for the spring tongue 56 will effect the result desired. This spring,having a tendency to assume its normal contour as illustrated in Fig. 7,will tend to rotate the cover 36 in a clockwise direction, see Fig. 5,and hold the cover in its closed position.

When the cover has been flipped to its open position, and the end 5| ofthe spring 50 has engaged the side 52 of the center part 46, the springwill then also have a tendency to assume its normal position, but thepart 46 will act as a fulcrum and cause the cover 36 to tend to rotatein a counterclockwise direction whereby the cover will 7 be held in itsopen position until the wearer closes same.

With the arrangement described, the cover 36 will be normally heldclosed by the spring tongue 56 until the cover is flipped open by thewearer of the watch. The cover will be friotionally held in staticequilibrium between the angles of approximately 45 to 85 with respect tothe cover. At angles greater than 85 the cover will snap to fully openposition as illustrated in Fig. 6; and at angles less than 45 the coverwill snap to fully closed position as illustrated in Fig. 5.

In accordance with the invention, not only may thecover 36 be associatedwith a wrist watch as illustrated in the drawing, but it may be used asa cover for a pocket watch of any shape or size. Further, not only maythe cover be used to hold a picture, as illustrated, but it may beopaque and have engraved on its outside an insignia, for example, or theinitials of the wearer. While the cover has been depicted as beingarranged for operation by a finger nail, yet within the scope of theinvention, it is to be understood that, mechanical means may be utilizedto efie'ct this operation.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in this device without departing from the spirit of theinvention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown inthe drawing and described in the specification but only as indicated inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a Watchcase having a cam portion,a cover hingedly secured to said watchcase, said cover being formed witha cut-out portion, a picture holding element engaged by said cover andconstructed to support apicture between the said lement and the innersurface of said cover whereby the said picture may be viewed from theoutside of said cover through the opening therein, spring means integralwith said element and cooperating with the cam portion of said case tohold said cover in its open position and prevent its closing when saidcover is at an angle of 90 or more to the case and to prevent said coverfrom accidental opening when said cover is in its closed position.

2. In a device of the class described, a watchcase having a cam portion,a cover hingedly secured to said watchcase, said cover being formed witha cut-out portion, a picture holding element engaged by said cover andconstructed to support a picture between the said element and the innersurface of said cover whereby the said picture 'may be viewed from theoutside of said cover through the openings formed therein, said elementbeing formed with an opening whereby a picture may be adjust-ablyarranged within the margins of the cut-out portion formed in the cover,spring means formed integral with said element and cooperating with thecam portion of said case to hold said cover in its open position andprevent its closing when said cover is at an angle of 90 or more to thecase and to prevent said cover from accidental opening .when said coveris in its closed position.

3. In a device of the class described, a watchcase having a cam portion,a cover hingedly secured to said watchcase, said cover being formed witha cut-out portion, a picture holding element engaged by said cover andconstructed to support a picture, a transparent sheet between the saidelement and the inner surface of said cover whereby the said picture maybe viewed from the outside of said cover through the opening formedtherein and the transparent sheet, spring means formed integral withsaid element and cooperating with the cam portion of said case to holdsaid cover in its open position and prevent its closing when said coveris at a predetermined angle to the case and to prevent said cover fromaccidental opening when said cover is in its closed position.

4. In a device of the class described, a Watchcase, a cover for saidwatchcase, a hinge for pivotally securing said cover to said watchcase,said hinge comprising a stationary portion secured to said watchcase anda rotatable portion secured to said cover, a cam portion on saidstationary portion, spring means on said cover adapted to engage saidcam portion and to hold said cover in its open position and to preventits closing when said cover is at more than a predetermined angle to thecase and to prevent said cover from accidental opening when said coveris in its closed position.

5. In a device of the class described, a watchcase, a cover for saidwatchcase, a hinge having a stationary part secured to said watchcase,said stationary part having a cam portion and a rotatable part securedto said cover, spring means comprising a flat sheet-like element and anintegrally formed projection therefrom at one end, said end being slitat at least two places and the projection deformed to lie in a plane atvariance with the plane of the sheet-like element, said spring meansengaging said cover and the cam portion of said stationary part to holdsaid cover in its open position and prevent its closing when said coveris at more than a predetermined angle to the case and to prevent saidcover from accidental opening when said cover is in its closed position.

6. In a device of the class described, a base, a cover for said base, ahinge having a stationary part secured to said base, said stationarypart having a cam portion and a rotatable part secured to said cover,spring means comprisin a flat sheet-like element and an integrallyformed projection therefrom at one end, said end being slit at at leasttwo places and the projection deformed to lie in a plane at variancewith the plane of the sheet-like element, said spring means engagingsaid cover and the cam portion of said stationary part to hold saidcover in its open position and prevent its closing when said cover is atmore than a predetermined angle to the case and to prevent said coverfrom accidental opening when said cover is in its closed position.

7. In a device of the class described, a watchcase, a cover for saidwatchcase, a hinge having a stationary part secured to said watchcase,said stationary part having a cam portion and a rotatable part securedto said cover, sprin means comprising a flat sheet-like element and anintegrally formed projection therefrom at one end, said end being slitat at least one place and the projection deformed to lie in a plane atvariance with the plane of the sheet-like element, said spring meansengaging said cover and the cam portion of said stationary part to holdsaid cover in its open position and prevent its closing when said coveris at more than a predetermined angle to the case and to prevent saidcover from accidental opening when said cover is in its closed position.

8. In a device of the class described, a base, a cover for said base, ahinge having a stationary part secured to said base, said stationarypart having a cam portion and a rotatable part secured to said cover,spring means comprising a flat sheet-like element and an integrallyformed projection therefrom at one end, said end being slit at at leastone place and the projection deformed to lie in a plane at variance withthe plane of the sheet-like element, said spring means engaging saidcover and the cam portion of said stationary part to hold said cover inits open position and prevent its closing when said cover is at morethan a predetermined angle to the base and to prevent said cover fromaccidental opening when said cover is in its closed position.

9. In a device of the class described, a base ,having a cam portion, acover hingedly secured to said base, said cover being formed with acutout portion, a picture holding element engaged by said cover andconstructed to support a picture between the said element and the innersurface of said cover whereby the said picture may be viewed from theoutside of said cover through the opening therein, spring means integralwith said element and cooperating with the cam portion of said base tohold said cover in its open position and prevent its closing when saidcover is at an angle of 90 or more to the base and to prevent said coverfrom accidental opening when said cover is in its closed position.

WILLIAM C. BARTHMAN.

